A huge forest rose up before them. Over a hundred trees stood close together, all clustered in tightly. The smallest of the trees stretched easily a hundred meters around, while the largest reached over a thousand meters around. They soared into the sky, towering so far above that their verdant canopies blotted out the sun and blocked the fading stars. Deep below the canopy, the floor laid in deep shadow. A few low-level disciples in pale green moved around down there, barely visible in the darkness.

Pagodas were carved into the side of the trees, climbing high along the trunks. Disciples in dark green flitted among the trunks and the pagodas, leaping or flying around. Further up, palaces balanced on broad branches. Higher yet, atop the canopy, grand palaces sat atop single leaves, glittering gold in the rising sun. The trees grew so tall, so densely packed that from where they stood near the forest, Hui couldn’t see past the first few rows of trees.

Hui’s eyes widened. A single leaf can hold an entire palace? These trees are truly impressive!

A bolt of green light whooshed toward them, materializing into five green-robed disciples. From his place dangling from Erlan’s ink hand, Hui put on an apologetic face. I wish I could fly… ah, I really should’ve spent those months learning how to fly on a sword!

The five cultivators looked over at the Black Asp Sect contingent. A few shot Hui a glance, but no one said anything aloud. The leader, a female cultivator emanating fluctuations above what Hui could comprehend, crossed her arms and scythed her gaze across all of them. Her eyes hesitated on Hui, dangling from an inky hand, and Gu Tian, held by Erlan, but only a moment before she flicked them away and hid any derision under a polite mask. “Welcome to Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect. Please, follow me. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

Erlan nodded. The Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect cultivators flew off, leading the way, and the Black Asp Sect followed.

“You’ve arrived a bit early for the Sect Conference. I understand you were invited personally by Sect Master Mu?” the female cultivator said pleasantly.

Erlan smiled and nodded. “Indeed, indeed. Sect Master Mu is so kind to act as our sponsor to enter the Southern Sect Conference.”

Hui blinked. Eh… huh? Is the Black Asp sect, a demonic sect, trying to enter… well, I don’t know what the Southern Sect Conference is, but at a guess, it’s an alliance of righteous sects, since Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect is holding it. They don’t really seem to be trying to convince anyone of their righteousness, though… so why? What?

The female cultivator’s face didn’t flicker. She simply nodded woodenly and flew on.

They flew into the forest. Green-robed cultivators moved all around them, some flying on wooden swords, while others ran along rope bridges that strung between the massive trees or leaped from one massive branch to another. Others climbed long stairwells carved into the trees’ bark. They passed a practice field carved into the side of a tree where a dozen cultivators walked around normally, as if they weren’t at a ninety-degree angle to the ground. Hui stared, amazed. Is that some kind of gravity-defying spell, or are all the cultivators using flying or movement skills to hold themselves onto the tree? How interesting!

At last, the female cultivator led them toward one of the smaller trees. Though smaller, it still stood several hundred meters around and several thousand tall. She swooped toward a broad, flat branch and landed beside a proud palace. The palace was carved from the branch itself, a single piece of wood from the roof tiles all the way to its foundation. Despite that, the palace was easily large enough to fit their entire delegation, if not a force several times their size.

Erlan swooped down on the palace and landed. A second later, he released Hui and Gu Tian. The other cultivators landed all around them, smirking at Hui’s back.

Unbothered, Hui straightened up and brushed himself down. He looked around at the branch and the palace, amazed. I’m standing on a tree right now. A single, massive tree. Incredible!

Erlan turned toward them, sweeping his sleeves magnificently. “You may have the rest of the day for yourselves! Do as you please, just don’t cause trouble.”

The other disciples saluted, then hurried inside to mark out rooms for themselves. Hui turned to do the same, but as he turned, a conversation caught his ear. He walked slowly into the palace, listening with all his might.

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“And the product?” Erlan asked the female cultivator pleasantly.

For the first time, her expression cracked. “You’ll see it soon enough.”

“Oh? Is it not ready?” Erlan asked. His eyes flashed with dangerous light. “You know we aren’t patient…”

She scowled. “If it weren’t for Starbound Sect—”

“Of course, of course. As soon as Starbound Sect is wiped off the map, our sects are deadly enemies once more. But in the meantime… don’t forget who brought these things to you, that allow you to dare make a move against Starbound Sect.”

The female cultivator snorted. “If they hadn’t stolen Weiheng Wu out from under us, we would be the most prominent sect today, not that blasted Starbound Sect!”

“But they did, so all you can do is crush them,” Erlan replied gently. He turned and looked at the forest and its ancient trees. His eyes glowed with a strange power, inky black and terrifying. “Besides, isn’t that only… half the problem?”

A shiver ran through the female cultivator. Her eyes narrowed.

“Xie Hao, do you need help? Is your leg hurt?” Gu Tian asked suddenly. He rushed to Hui’s side, face a picture of concern.

Erlan and the female cultivator fell silent. They both turned and looked at Hui, still loitering outside the palace.

“Ah… aha, I um, I’m just a bit scared of heights?” Hui ad-libbed. He smiled at Gu Tian and sped up into the palace, before Gu Tian could ask any more questions.

“But… you didn’t seem scared when you were dangling from Erlan’s ink hand…” Gu Tian muttered, confused.

“Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it,” Hui said.

Inside the palace were ten main halls, five on the first floor and five on the second, spread out like a star. Erlan had brought nine of them with him, excluding Hui and Gu Tian, and already, the other disciples occupied the other nine halls. Only one hall remained. The grandest of them all, it was clearly meant for Erlan.

Hui glanced around, then approached one of the cultivators on the lower level. “Elder Brother, could I—”

“Screw off.”

Hui bowed and backed away. He moved to the next one.

Before he reached the next hall, the disciple standing in it raised a barrier spell, blocking Hui from so much as approaching him. From the far side of the transparent barrier, he scoffed at Hui.

Hui glanced around the hall. Every time he laid eyes on one of the cultivators, they turned away or shook their heads.

Gu Tian sighed. “It’s always like this, Xie Hao. They look down on the weak. You can’t fly yet, so… unfortunately, they’re blocking you in with me. I’m used to it, but…”

Hui caught sight of a final hallway that hadn’t yet been closed off and walked toward it.

Gu Tian caught his sleeve. “There’s no point. You’re just humiliating yourself!”

“Humiliating myself? This small cultivator had no face in the first place, Elder Brother. It's impossible for me to lose face, so why would I worry about it? Instead, aren’t our seniors the ones losing face, by treating us like grade-school children would?” Hui pointed out.

“But in the end…” Gu Tian mumbled, shaking his head.

Hui drew his sleeve out of Gu Tian’s grasp. “It’s fine if you’re shy, Gu Tian. I won’t force you. But please don’t hold me back, either. This small cultivator isn’t going to give up because of a little something like face.”

He marched toward the final hall. Gu Tian hesitated, then followed after him. The hallway stood empty, so Hui cleared his throat and spoke loudly. “Excuse me, senior, would you mind if…”

Liu Baozhai stepped out of one of the rooms. She looked at Hui, her doll-like face as placid as ever.

“…if we borrow a room or two? Even a small corner of a room is fine,” Hui said. I did hesitate, but in the end, she isn’t Bai Xue. I’ll be in no danger if she lets me share. Ah, though I’ll understand if she refuses.

Liu Baozhai glanced him and Gu Tian up and down, then nodded half an inch. She pointed at the first room on the hall, the one nearest them.

Hui bowed gratefully. “Thank you, Elder Sister!”

Silently, she nodded, then retreated into the hall.

“Only one room… I guess it’s better than nothing, but…” Gu Tian scowled.

“A room is a room. What are you worried about? All we need is a space to rest and cultivate. I wouldn’t mind if I had to sit in the main hall,” Hui said, pushing the door open.

“It’s… they’re clearly bullying us, Xie Hao, don’t you understand? Even Liu Baozhai… this isn’t the way she should be treating a fellow fourth-realm cultivator! Splitting the rooms half-and-half would be more fair.”

Hui looked at Gu Tian, then frowned. “Why do you care? I’m not bothered by it, so why are you? Besides, Liu Baozhai didn’t have to give us anything. We should be grateful to her for giving anything, not bitter over how much she gave.”

“Because—Xie Hao! You’re being taken advantage of!”

Hui looked around him, then patted his body down. Bai Xue isn’t here. What does he mean? “No one’s touching me…?”

Gu Tian sighed. “Not like that. I mean… ah, never mind. What am I complaining for? You got yourself a room. I, on the other hand…”

Hui frowned at Gu Tian. “We can share, Elder Brother.”

“Eh… huh?”

“It’s a large room,” Hui said, gesturing through the open door. The room easily stretched a few dozen meters in any direction. Although the qi wasn’t as pure as his vertebra, it was about the same size, except the roof was higher. You could fit a dozen copies of Master’s hut in this room! It’s huge! Even if Master and I and Senior Wolf all decided to live in this room, it wouldn’t be crowded.

“You’re… fine with that?” Gu Tian said.

Hui nodded.

Gu Tian hesitated another few moments, then stepped over the threshold. “Thank you, Xie Hao.”

Hui ducked his head, giving him a small smile. Gu Tian is so strange. Making things so complicated for no reason… he should listen to what people say, rather than spending so much time in his head!